Fertilizer-distributer.



W. J. ADAMS. V FERTILIZER DISTRIBUTER.

APPLIGATION FILED AUG.2B, 1,908.

- Patented July 20, 1909.

s SHEETS-SHEET 1 witnesses W. J. ADAMS.

FERTILIZER DISTRIBUTER.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 28, 1908.

9%,85. I Patented July-20,1909.

s SHEETB-SHEET z.

" WZZZ/MAZQW M v $315M WPJ. ADAMS.

FERTILIZER DISTRIBUTBR. APPLICATION FILED 'AUG. 2a, 1908.

Patented July 20, 1909.

s SHEETS-SHEET 3.

wilneooeo nnrrnn STA'llhIS PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM J. ADAMS, OF MOBILE, ALABAMA.

FERTILIZEB-DISTRIBUTEB.

To allwhma it may concern:- a i I Be it knownthat. 1, WILLIAM .AnAMs, a

citizen of .th'eUnited States, residing at Mobile, in the county of Mobile and State of Alabama, have invented new and useful 1m rovements in Fertilizer-Distributers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a machine for dis-.

' vision of an improved device arranged in the "hop or or body of the machine to operate on 5 the o'ttom of the mass of manure thereinjto' tear'awayithe' particles from the mass by a raking or cutting action so as to pulveriz'e the manure and at the same time cause the mass of manure to feed by gravity toward the de: vice, the said device also serving as a conveyer to move the fine separated particles to the distributing opening or hopper.

' Afurther object of the invention is the employment of a driving mechanism including clutches whereby the axle of the machine can .beiconnected with the traction wheels so as to derive power from the latterfor operating the raking or pulverizing device.

A still further object is the provision 'of a mouth of the.

regulator disposed at the mouth or dis tributing openingof the hopper and arranged in cooperative relation with the raking or pulverizing-device to control the discharge of the fertilizer, the regulator including means ,i'erpermitting stones, twigs or the like to pass through themouth without producing iisindue strain on the working parts.

sin additional objectof the invention is the employment of an attachment whereby the fertilizer can be distributed in one or ,more rows when broadcasting is not desired.

lVith these objects in View and: others, as Will-appear as the description proceeds, the invention comprises the various novel tures of construction and arrangement of parts which will be more fully described Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed August 28, 1908. Serial No. 460,685.

. a single drill or row.

fea-

Patented July 20, 1909.

hereinafter and particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate certain embodiments of the invention, Figure 1 is a plan view of a broadcasting disj tributer constructed in accordancewith the invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical; longitudinal section thereof with the drillingattachment. in place. Fig. 3 is a front view of, the machine showing the attachment set to fertilize Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the attachment. Fig. 5 isan enlarged detail view of the device for connect ing an endless chain toone of the spike or dog carrying slats or raking elements. Fig. 6 is a plan view of a modifiedv formv of machine designed to distribute the fertilizer in a single row. Fig. 7 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of a modified machine of larger capacity.

Similar reference characters are employed.

to designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the body or hopper of' the machine which is -mounted on an axle or shaft 1 that is'provided at its outer ends withtraction Wheels 2 and connected with the body are thills 3 carrying 'a swingletree 4 for attaching a draft animal to the machine. The axle 1 is mounted to rotate in bearings '5 secured to the sills 6 of the body and on the shaft or axle 1 are sliding clutch members 7 that are adapted to engage clutch elements 8 formed on the hubs of the wheels 2. The sliding members 7 are thrown into or out of engagement by levers 9 fulcrumed on bearings 10 at the sides of the body A and having their forward ends connected by'links 1-1 with an operating lever 12. This lever is fulcrumed at 13 to the front of the body A and projects upwardly through the. drivers platform 14 so that the driver sitting in the seat 15 can readily reach the lever. When the'lever is shifted in one direction the member 7 will be clutched to the traction wheels so as to rotate the shaft 1 which operates the working arts of the distributer and by moving the ever in the opposite direction the shaft 1 is unclutched from the traction wheel, so that the machine can be moved from' place to place without the 'Working parts operating.

The hopp to 3 inclusive permits the fertilizer to be discharged from the. bottom but it is to be uner or-body A as shown in Figs. 1 l

cent the bottom thereof for connection with wall 19. The lower edges of the plates 16 and 18 are spacedapart to form a dischargingmouth or opening 20 through which the fertilizer is delivered. The upper end of the plate 16 is spaced apart from the bottom of the back wa 17 so as to provide anopenin g 21 for accommodating the endless chains of the raking or pulverizing mechanism. The

plate 18 is slidably mounted on ledges 22 and the front portion asses forwardly through an opening 23 in t e front of the body adjameans for moving the plate back and forth to vary'the size of the discharge opening or mouth 20 to suit the nature of the fertilizer. Thismeans com rises a rock shaft 25 disposed in front of the body A and journaled in bearing 25 on thethills and on the rock shaft are upwardly extending crank arms 26 that engage in eyes 27 on the plate 18 so as to move the latter-back and forth by the rocking of the shaft. On the shaft 24 is an operating lever'28 within conveni'ent reach 0 the. driver. The plate 18 is provided with yielding'member 29.;in' the form of a strip that extends along the mouth 20 and is connected with the, plate by hinges 30 which p'ermit the said member to swing downwardlyagainst the .tension of a spring 31 when a stone, twig or the like is being forced through the mouth, the spring being secured to. the sides of the body A and to the' end of the member 29.

The rakin orpulverizing device designated genera y by B is so arrangedand designed as to operate on the bottom of the mass of manure in the body or ho per by tearing or cutting away thepartic es and conveying them to the discharging mouth."

The raking or pulverizing device thus under- 'mines the mass of manure in the hopper so that the weight of the mass will cause the manure to feed by gravity into operative relation to the device for enabling the latter to maintain a uniform distribution of the fertilizer. Thedevice B comprises endless chains or elements 32 that pass around sprockets 33 on the axle shaft 1 and s rockets 34 on the shaft 35 that is dis ose horizontally at the opening 21 of the opper and mounted in bearings 36 on the inclined bottom plate 16. chain rides on the inner surface of theinclined plate '16 while the other flight is dis-- posed entirely outside of the hopper, the chains moving into the opening 21' and out of the mouth 20 in the direction indicated by the arrow, Fig. 2. Secured to the chains are One half or flight of the transversely extending raking OIPUlVBI'IZmg elements 37 in the form of strips or slats th are provided with short teeth or spikes 38 that project upwardly into'the mass of manure so as to effectively tear away or separate the particles. The slats 37 are spaced apart a suitable distance so that the loose particles separated by the teeth will drop upon the plate 16 and lodge between adjacent slats so that the latter as they are moved forwardly will discharge the articles through the mouth 20. On the e ge of the strip 29 of the mouth regulating plate 18 is provided- -with spikes 39 which work between the spikes 38 of the raking device so that the manure will be eifectively broken up in passing through the mouth.

The mouth 20 extends entirely across the hopperso that the fertilizer can lie distributed broadcast and if it'is desired to (liStIiiC- ute the fertilizer into rows an attachment This row or drill distributing attachment C comprises a supportin frame 40, Fi s. 2, 3

and 4, which is detac ably mounte under the mouth 20 of the hopper by means of hooks 41 that engage in staples or eyes 42 on the bottom of the hopper. On the frame 40 are a pair of trough shaped chutes 43 that are looselyfastened to the ends of the frame 40 by bolts 44 that pass through slots in the chutes and the chutes are supportedat any inclination to each other by resting in stirrups orsupporting members 45 that'are pro-f vided with terminal hooks 46 that'engago over the front and rear members 47 of the frame 40. By shiftin these stirrups inwardly or outwardly t e inclination of the chutescan be varied for regulating the feed rows at a time the chutes 43 are detached from the bolts 44 and applied to the bolt 48 on the cross bar 49 secured to the middle of the frame 40. while the chutes are supported as before int'he stirrups 45. In order to facilitate. the flow of fertilizer down the chutes the frame 40 is adapted to lie agitated. For this purpose the frame is provided with an upwardly extending finger 50 that is located in the path of the spike carrying slats 37 so that the latter will strike the finger and agitate the frame 40 that carries the chutes 43, the links 41 providing the necessary flexibility for the Vibration of the frame.

The slats 37 are spaced apart and secured to 'the-chains 32 and as shown in Fig. 5 only those links of each chain disposed over the slats are provided with apertured lugs 51 for connecting the chain by fastenings 52 to the spike carrying slats 37.

In Fig. 6 a construction is shown especially; adapting the machine for distributing fer tilizer in a single row and the discharge opening 53 of the hopper is relatively short as are other figures.

, mouth 56 can be regulated by a hinged ad iusting spring-pressed plate 67 secured to the advantages of the 46 method of 0 eration, will be readily apparent clamping nuts 68.

' mouth, a plate in the hopper tending transversely thereto,

Fig. 7 illustrates a machine of larger capacity than the forms hereinbefore described and the same comprises a body D which is supported upon a rear axle and on the front truck of an ordinary farm wagon. In the bottom of the body at the rear is a discharge mouth 56 and the fertilizer is delivered through the mouth by the raking or pulverizing device wardly. This device E is driven by sprocket wheels 57 on a counter shaft 58 that is rotated by pinions 59 and 60 on the counter shafts and rear axle 55 respectively. :In front of the device E hinged to the sides of the body D at 62 and normally resting on cross rods 63. This false bottom has its front end attached to a chain 64 that winds around a shaft 65 which shaft can be turned by an operating crank 66 so that the false bottom can be gradually elevated to throw the mass of manure in the front of the body backwardly to the raking or pulverizing device E. The size of the the back of the body I) and held in place by At the front of the wagon is a controlling lever .69 whereby the rear wheels can be clutched to the axle.

'From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, construction and of the to those 'skil ed in the art to which the invention appertains, and while I have described the principle of operation of the invention, together with the apparatus-which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desireto have it understood that the apparatus shown is merely illustrative and that such changes may be made when desired as are within'the scope of the claims appended hereto. i

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed. as new is 1. A fertilizer distributing machine comprising a hopper pr body provided with a inclined downwardly toward the mout an endless element runningover the inner face of the plate, spaced slats secured to the element and exs ikes on; the slats t 'rake into the bottom 0' the mass of fertilizer in the" ho per for separating and loosening the partic es thereof, a plurality'of relatively-fixed spikes disposed in the path of the spikes on the slats and between which the-latter spikes move, wheels for supporting E which discharges rear-' is a false bottom 61 'ment, a

the hopper, and means for clutching the wheels to the said element for driving the latter.

2. A fertilizer distributing machine comprising a wheel supported hopper or body, a mouth, an endless element passin through the mouth, means for driving-the e ement by the wheels of the body, a lurality of toothed members secured to an moving with the element and extending transverselythereto, a relatively fixed toothed member adjustable back and forth with respect to the path of the toothed member for varying the sizeof the mouth, and means for throwing the endless element out of. operation, the teeth on the movable members being arranged to pass between the teeth on the fixed member.

3.'A fertilizer distributing machine comprising a hopper or body opening and with a mout the opening, tween the opening and mouth, an endless element arranged ,,.t o run/on the late, and passing throu h" the opening an mouth, spaced toothe tmembers carried by the eledisposed below .ment, and means for driving the e'lementQ 4. A fertilizer distributing machine comprising a hopper or body provided with .an o ening and with a mout 'dis osed below t e opening, an inclined plate isposed between the opening and mouth; an endless element arranged to run on the late and passing through the opening an mouth, spaced toothed members carried by the .ele-

toothed member disposed along the mouth and arranged with its teeth in a posi- .tion to work through the teeth of the movable members, and controllable means for driving the element. 5. A fertilizer distributing machine .com-

rising a hopper or body, a mouth at the hottom thereof, a devicefor-regulating the width of the mouth and including a yieldingly mounted member, teeth on the member, a raking or pulverizing device arranged pp cpass through the mouth from inside the o y. bottom of t e mass of manure in the hopper, wheels su porting the "hopper, and a controllable d wheels and raking device; r 6. A fertilizer distributing machine comprising a hopper or body having a discharge mouth and an opening located above the mouth, an inclined plate between the mouth and opening, an'endlesselement riding over the plate and passing into the hopper through the opening and out of the hopper throughthe mouth, a plurality of tooth carrying members secured to the element, an adjustably mounted plate disposed at one side of the mouth for varying the size thereof and provided with a plurality oft'eeth between which the teeth on the said members ass, mechanism for adjusting the plate, w eels riving mechan1sm"between the rovided with an an inclined plate disposed bev or hopper and disposed to work on the supporting the hopper, a rotatable axle for the wheels, and means for clutching the axle to the wheels for actuating'the said element. 7. The combination of a broadcasting fertilizer distributer including a hopper provided with a mouth and a device movable through the mouth to deliver the fertilizer,

a'gitatin the attachment by the said device.

8. A rill attachment for broadcasting fertilizer distributers complrising a supporting frame, means fondetac ably mounting the -frame on the distributer. chutes reversibly mounted on the frame, andmeansfor changing the inclination of the chutes, incombination with a: device for agitating the chutes by a moving part of the distributer.

9. The combination of a distributer including a rakin or pulverizing device, with anattachment or dischargin fertilizer into drills, and means between t e attachment iand device for 'agitating'the former by the atter.

' 10. The combination of a distributer in.

cluding a device for reducing the fertilizer \intoparticles, with a chute supported in position to receive the particles, and an agitator for the chute actuated by the said device. In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM J. ADAMS. Witnesses:

JOHN L. FLETCHER, f C. BRA-DWAY. 

